[no subject]

When I left off I was cruising on the Crystal Symphony from Tokyo to 
Vancouver with several stops along the way.
It was an 18 day cruise and the damage done to my waist line still has not 
been completely repaired although 
there has been some progress. 

Our first stop out of Tokyo was Aomori Japan and we visited Hirosaki Castle 
to take in the Sakura. I have been chasing the
Cherry Blossoms in Japan for years and have either arrived too late or two 
early but this time - late April - we hit the height of the blossom
season right on:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Cruising2015/2PanHiroMoat.jpg.html>

Hirosaki Castle was constructed in 1611. It was the seat of the Tsugaru 
clan, a 47,000 koku tozama daimy? clan who ruled over Hirosaki Domain, Mutsu 
Province, in what is now central Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan.